Photos, Postcards and DrawingsFrom Around Macon County - and from Illini Township
in Particular

All photos on this page kindly submitted by Sally Hursh, from the collection of Joseph Elmo Hursh.

WARRENSBURG, ILLINOIS DEPOT

This postcard was in my grandfather's things. It was published by C.A. Dresbach,
and it looks like Nottleman Lumber is on the left in the background.

WARRENSBURG, ILLINOIS DEPOT IN WINTER

Some of the following information was gleaned from Rural Schools of Macon
County which was printed 1978 by the Macon County Historical Society. The photo of the
school is on pages 284 and 285.

The village of Warrensburg was laid out in 1872. By 1877 the school classes had
grown so large that a two-story, two-room school house was built, and later became the graded
school. It consisted of one room downstairs and one room upstairs with the steps running up at
the north end of the ouside of the building.

In 1890 enrollment had increased to fifty-six students which included
thirty-seven males and nineteen females ranging from six to thirteen years of age. The
enrollment was larger than the building could accommodate so a part of the advanced pupils
were taught in the Church of God Chapel and later in Ed White's opera house. Two rooms and a
hallway were added on the east side of the old structure in 1893. The old church bell was
purchased from the Church of God and was hung in the school belfry where it did a good service
through the years.

In doing further research, I learned that C.C. Getter (Charles C. Getter), my
grandfather's uncle from Pennsylvania, was one of the principals after 1898. In 1917 the old
wooden building was replaced with a fine new brick building. It opened with J.E. Hursh
(my grandfather), Miss Goodwin, Julia Faith and Minnie Vaught as teachers. The new brick
building became the Village Grade School when the Community High School was erected at the
northeast corner of the town of Warrensburg in 1923 (That's where I attended for 3 1/2 years
until the 'new' high school was completed!).

Helen Ingram (Mrs. Horace) Brown attended Warrensburg Grade School from 1910 to
1920 when she graduated from the 10th grade. In 1920 Warrensburg voted to build a new
four-year high school. Two more years of high school were added at once and in 1922 the first
high school accredited class was graduated from what eventually became the Grade School
building."

This colored post card says Warrensburg High School, and was published by C.A.
Dresbach, Warrensburg, IL; printed in Germany.

This group picture was taken at the Warrensburg School. In this photo my
grandfather, Joseph Elmo Hursh, is on the back row, the last on the right. His brother, Harry
Cole Hursh, is on the front row, third from the right (the short one).

Warrensburg Elementary School. This photo was probably taken in 1924 at the same time as the Athletic Meet
pictures that follow.

COUNTY SCHOOLS ATHLETIC MEET 1924

This photo was probably taken outside the Warrensburg Elementary school.

Many who lived in Warrensburg will remember this old school. The school was
sold in 1975 and was occupied for a time by the Barclay Public Library and the Masonic Lodge. It
was later converted into apartments.

HOME of WARRENSBURG ELEMENTARY'S JANITOR HARRY "KING" OAKES

This photo was taken in July 2003. The house is situated to the north of the old
elementary school on West Main street. At the time I was in school, "King" lived in this house
with his mother. Originally the house had a porch on the front and if you look close you can see the
line where it was attached to the house. The porch was removed post 1967.

BATCHELDER SCHOOL

This school was located on the North East Quarter of Section 29 of Illini Township,
Macon County, IL.

BATCHELDER SCHOOL - 1912

This photo appeared on pg. 50 of Rural Schools of Macon County, published
in 1978 by the Macon County Historical Society. The teacher was Pearl Robbins Sibthorp.

BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE

I attended this country school, located west of Warrensburg, when I was in
the third grade. Though it was later used as a house, it still looks the same on the
outside.

THIRD GRADE CLASS AT THE BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE - 1949-1950

This is my third grade class at the Brick School taught by Mrs. Lillian S. Knowles.

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